Allen Edmonds "Empire"

[GWD]

Has anyone heard of these? Any guesses as to decade of manufacture?

 

[Tomasso]

Them are beauts!!

I'll guesstimate late 20's.

 

[sproily]

Very beautiful! Definitely 30's! What size are they?

 

[Chasseur]

Wow!

 

[GWD]

Very beautiful! Definitely 30's! What size are they?

11C. They were described as circa 1930's but I wanted you experts to confirm. How can you tell?

 

[Tomasso]

"In the late 1920s Spiegel left the company, bought out by William Edmonds, who owned a Milwaukee company called Edmonds Foot Fitters. Edmond's trade name soon replaced the "Osteo-Path-Ik" moniker, and the company's expanding range of shoes now became known as Allen-Edmonds Footfitters"

 

[sproily]

Wow you lucky guy.. My exact size also.. Damn..

Nice to know Tomasso.

 

[GWD]

Wow you lucky guy.. My exact size also.. Damn..

Nice to know Tomasso.

Sproily, don't even! lol I've been looking at all your vintage purchases as of late. Don't talk to me about being lucky!

 

[sproily]

Finding immaculate spade soled 20's-30's shoes is always lucky!

...If you ever want to rid of them (I have absolutely no idea why you would want to, though) I'll buy them from you

 

[GWD]

We'll see, I'm a 11 D, I took a gamble, I may contact you. They should arrive next week.

 

[davestlouis]

Those are beauties! Great find.

 

[GWD]

Empires came today! The good news is they fit and they're beautiful, the bad news is the leather is a bit brittle and when I tried them on, they both ripped just a little at the heel.

The tongue on one shoe is just hanging on by a thread.

I've already contacted Allen Edmonds with pictures to see if they can make repairs.

I hate when bad things happen! :rage:

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Try putting some Lexol on them if AE can't help ya.

 

[Tomasso]

Sad news....

 

[bbshriver]

give em the leatherique treatment
http://www.leatherique.com/

Do it right and you'll be amazed how soft the leather becomes. Should come back like new. Obviously though you'll need to get any tears repaired.

Exactly the shoes I want, except I want oxblood/burgundy instead of the white... but nobody makes em!

 

[cookie]

AE Specs

The MD will love to see those after the Matt Deckard resurrection of the Strohfuts.

They have the 20s treatment and are veeeeerrrrry interesting with that pegged (holzgenagelt = wood nailed in German) heel. They appear little worn as well.

It is a constant problem with vintage shoes that they split at that point. They do so because it is thin and very exposed to drying.

Before wearing them I have my vintage shoes reinforced by my cobbler with a strip of curved leather from underneath where the lacing starts on the vamp around the indside of the back of the heel with fine stitching. Works every time. But first always use Pecards or Lexol to allow the dryness to soften out.

They are also a sexier last design than the more spacious Broadstreets which have recently been deleted.

 

[GWD]

Cookie, can you post a few pictures of the work you've had done to your vintage shoes? It would be great so we can take the necessary precautions for the next pair of shoes!

This is my first pair of vintage shoes and if I would have known what to expect, I wouldn't have tried them on right away.

I would love for everyone to learn from my mistake and not learn from their own.

Thanks!!

 

[Tomasso]

Yes, it would have been nice if someone had given you a heads-up.

 

[BAK]

Empire vintage

That's a great looking shoe. Last shape remains relevant as well. The "spade" shape of the sole (sole edge carves in drastically at the ball of the foot - best viewed in pic 6) dates it to the 1950's. I think the Empire shoe is vintage 1956 to 1958. You can find it in one of our catalogues from that decade, viewed here:

http://issuu.com/search?q=allen+edmonds&cr=all&lan=en&dsp=text&num=10&st=document

 

[GWD]

Thanks BAK! I take it you are employed at AE?